Index



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. 0. BRINKLEY. INDEX.

No. 464,629. Patented Dec. 8, 1891.

WITNESSES: IN VEN TOR. @QJVW Jim/.6 M WC Zo 1 5411 (11? I (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. O. BRINKLEY.

, INDEX.

No. 464,629. Patented Dec. 8, 1891.

WITNESSES: INVENT I h'cfi; cZvwiZek @2J&ATT0RNEY.

(No Model.) '3 SheetsSheet 3.

T. 0. BRINKLEY,

INDEX.

No. 464,629. Patented Dec. 8. 1891. l

I WITNESSES; INVENTOR. wig dwell; K

fl @CZ/ TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES;

ATENT FFICSE.

INDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,629, dated December 8, 1891 Application filed January 30, 189 l. Serial No. 379.633. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, THoMAs O. BRINKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oleve: land, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in indices, which consist in certain features, as described in the accompanying specification and more especially pointed out in the annexed claims.

My invention is designed to facilitate the easy and rapid finding of filed papers, such as letters received, copies of correspondence in impression-books, legal papers, or miscellaneous matter filed in ordinary desk pigeonholes, letter-filing cases,-&c.

The special feature of my invention consists in a separating-sheet having a lateral projection upon which to write the name of the division to be used, whether it be the name of a person, title of subject, or otherwise. This separating-sheetservesa definite portion of the entire file for only the object designated upon its projection. In the case of a letter-press impression-book a certain number of pages of the book would be assigned to one person. Hence the moment the lids of the book are opened the persons subdivision may be selected from the series of fprojecting index portions, and the subdivision belonging .to such person is readily found and all the consecutive correspondence of the party brought to sight in regular successive pages of this division, in

stead of looking at an ordinary index and finding the name of the party entered a few dozen times, answering for a like number of communications which have been received or sent him, and eachone directing the search to a certain page or file; but when turning to this certain place it is more than likely found that the communication is a few months previous to the one that is desired, and so the search proceeds, trying first one page, then another, and, as usual, finding the last to be the proper one. With my system no such needless expenditure of time, as well as patience, is encountered. The name sought for is distinctly visible without leafing through the book, thus making possible an expedition in large correspondence and general index- 5 ing that could not be attained in any manner at present known to me.

Theaccompanying drawings illustrate my invention, of which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an impression-book equipped with my device and the manner of designating its contents as it stands filed away without opening its covers. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the book open, disclosing the index projections. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in perspective showing the separating-sheets and their projections. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a separating-sheet detached. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the closed book. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the. device as applied to an ordinary pigeon-hole. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a detached set of separatingsheets, such as might be used in an ordinary cabinet-file, showing the same held together on the back by suitable fastenings.

I show a book A of ordinary make, excepting that my index-sheets are inserted.

It will be noticed that in Fig. 2 the whole book is divided into four divisions, having the index projections bunched likewise, so as to present a step-by-step rise from the lower group, serving the last part of the book, and the bottom of the page to the upper group, which occurs at the top of the page and serves 8 the first portion of the book. Each of these groups has a series of separating-sheets a, with lateral projections a which project one from beneath another and present a step-bystep arrangement at about right angles to the main groups.

In Fig. 4 I show one of the separatingsheets a as removed, and which in this instance is provided with a series pf ruled divisions aserving for a special notation referring to the matter filed, whether it'be upon a page or a special sheet, which may be numbered, and the numbers upon the left-hand side of the sheet from 1 to 9 may designate the subject or the page, as the case may be. The other divisions to the right of the page column are respectively for the notation of the month, day, and year, while the wide space between this last column and the righthand edge of the sheet is reserved for any special reference pertinent to the subject. The name and address or other matter is placed at the head of the sheet.

In Fig. 5 I show the front edge of an impression-book when it is closed, which discloses the contents of the book. Forin stance, in the illustration, the book is for the use of the letter S, and in each of the divisions a are the vowels a e i 0 u, and in each division a is a blank space for notation, stating from the month, day, or year to the same time or designations when this division of the book is entirely used up. These divisions should correspond to the divisions of the indexsheets.

In Fig. 2 there are shown four divisions, and the forward edge of the book, as shown in Fig. 1, also discloses four, while Fig. 5 shows the five divisions illustrating the possibility of changing these divisions to any number, as the groups of index-sheets in the book would require.

It will be observed in Fig.7 that aseries of index-sheets are held together at their rear ends by any suitable fastenings, as at a, and that these sheets are so held together that the whole set may be bodily removed from any filing-case without their becoming separated. In the case of a pigeon-hole index, as shown in Fig. fi,the rear end of these separate sheets are held together in like manner, as shown in Fig. 7. In this figure they are purposely shown separated somewhat, as though containing filed matter between them, in order to more especially show the expanding feature of the index and its adaptability to a large or small amount of contents, and, as shown, very easily discloses adaptability of my invention to either a pigeon-hole, file, or that of an impression-book, filing'case, or the like, in which, as previously stated, the series of separating-sheets composing the entire index are first grouped into an arbitrary number of main divisions, a certain number of sheets constituting a group, and each group, independent of every other, having for each separate sheet a projecting portion thereof, which as the number of sheets increases in a downward direction the projections increase in length, so as to present an unobstructed face projecting from beneath the projection of the sheet next above. These series of projections, which form an inclinedindex which presents to view every separatingsheet and any designation thereon for each sheet at a single glance, occurs on a higher plane in a lateral direction than the group next beneath it. Thus the groups themselves, with their projections, form a stcp-by-step series of projections, one above the other, while the projections of each group are arranged step by step at about right angles to the step-by-step arrangement of the different groups of projections.

In Fi 2 I show the lids of the impressionbook as projecting to A, so as to entirely inclose the projections of the separating-sheets, and the front edge of the book, when closed, is the portion A which has a flap A attached thereto, and which, when the book is closed, serves to maintain the portion A in position, the flap A being folded upon the inside of the lid, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 the divisions a upon the forward edge of the book are shown as bearingconsecutive numbers, the book itself being designated by the number 16, these variations being designed to show a different style of notation from that in Fig. 5. Of course the separating-sheet shown in Fig. 4: may have its notation columns and lines modified to suit different business requirements; but the index is sufficiently adaptable to the difierent uses set forth as not to limit me to an impressionbook alone.

The simplest form of prevailing indices 111 common use necessitates the opening of the book or file at the initial letter of the name in request. A search for it among these 111- dices, whether classified or otherwise, necessitates the turning over to the diiferent pages indexed under this name until the object of the search is accomplished, whether in a book or file, or through a more or less number of the same until it is found, thus enforcing the expenditure of much valuable time on a comparatively simple matter.

Special indices designed for ready reference to any given name orsubject are so classified as to be of little service in facilitating the rapid and easy finding of indexed matter.

In my present system all unnecessary time and labor are dispensed with. The moment the front cover of the book or file is removed the lateral projections are exposed to view, forming in themselves an exposed complete index of the contents. The insertion of the index-sheets in allotted spaces of any given number of pages or divisions permits the copying or filing of letters or papers of any kind for each name or subject in consecutive order without a chance to misplace or misfile the same, so that letters to or from another individual can be read in rotation, thus insuring continuity of subject and a rapidity of reference, and in.reality dispenses with the necessity of indexing individual pages for each impression; but for the convenience of those so desiring special notations referring to each letter or subdivision of a subject may be made upon the sheet, as shown in Fig. 4.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An index comprising division or separating sheets provided with lateral projections, said sheets grouped into main divisions throughout the series of sheets, each group having an exposed portion of its projections in different planes and each projection of each sheet in each group also located in different planes, substantially as described.

2. In an index, agroup or series of division- IIO its series of lateral proj ections the said groups extending with an incline with respect to each other at about right angles to the incline of sheets having lateral projections extending from beneath each other for the purpose of notation, &c., and a series of such groups, the projections of the several groups being so arranged as to extend from beneath each other, substantially as described.

3. Anindex comprisingaseries of separatingsheets, said sheets divided into an arbitrary number of divisions, each division presenting to view a series of projecting portions for each division, said projecting portions forming a step-by-step arrangement throughout the series of separating-sheets, each of said divisions having their projecting portions arranged in a step-by-step order at about right angles to the step-by-step arrangement of the main divisions of the index, substantially as described.

4. In an index, a series of division-sheets secured to each other at one end thereof, their forward ends presenting diiferent banks of lateral projections, said lateral projections projecting one from beneath another,in combination with arbitrary groups or divisions of the division-sheets, each group or division presenting to view in an unobstructed manner the lateral projections of each group, substantially as described.

5. In an index, a series of division-sheets having lateral projections, a group of such series of sheets, and the projections of each group and of the several series of sheets projecting from beneath each other in a plane at about right angles to each other, and blank spaces, columns, or the like thereon for special reference, substantially as described.

6. In an index, a forward projection or flap from the last sheet forming a cover for the forward portion of the index, which may be folded against the upper or first sheet of the index, and a space upon the forward side of the flap for any suitable notations of the contents of the index, substantially as described.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 24th day of January, 1891.

THOMAS C. BRINKLEY. Witnesses:

N. S. AMSTUTZ, ALFRED EALUM. 

